Abstract
ZnO incorporated phosphate based bioglasses with the composition xZnO–22Na2O–24CaO–(54-X)P2O5 (where X = 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 mol%) were developed by melt-quenching process. The physical, thermal and other structural properties of the glasses were studied in detail. By employing various characterization techniques such as X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in addition to the energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS), and Raman spectroscopy, the structural properties were analyzed. Interestingly, physical, thermal and mechanical properties were enhanced with the increasing content of zinc oxide up to 8 mol%, due to the presence of more ionic nature of P–O–Zn bonds than P–O–P bonds in the glass network. The FTIR and Raman analysis revealed the evolution of the phosphate network with increasing zinc concentration and leads to progressive depolymerisation of the glass network. The obtained results from the physical and structural properties of these zinc added calcium phosphate glasses support their potential to use as bone implant applications.